Furniture-top construction



March 24, 1931. J, R. CLARK 9 1,797,496

FURNI TURE TOP CONSTRUCTI N Filed Nov. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. R. CLARK Filed Nov. 7, 1928 March 24, 1931.

Patented Mar. 24, 1931 'UNITED Asfmfrlas JAMES R. CLARK, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MFG'.

gPMENT OFFICE Co., or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, vA CORPORATION or NRW YORK IE'RNITUREi-TO13 CONSTRUCTION Application mea November 7, 192s. serial No. 317,865.

This invention relates to top constructions for filing cabinets, counters, desks and the like for binding the marginal edges of layers of surfacing material such as linoleum.

The present invention may be considered as an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 216,284, filed August 29, 1927.

My present invention enables the application of the' binding edge construction disclosed in my former application to stock furniture tops which may not have been made or designed particularly for the application of my binding edge construction.

A resultant advantage of my improvement is that my binding edge construction may be applied lto standard articles of metal furniture or the like without the necessity of the manufacturer altering his dies or vother production facilities.

The foregoing objects, features and advantages of my invention'are set forth in the following description of a specificV embodiment thereof'as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 isa perspective of my improved auxiliary furniture top applied to a filing cabinet;

Figure 2 is a detail enlarged section taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan of a batteryof three cabinets showing the method of applying the binding strip;

Figure 4 is a and Figure 5 is a detail section along the lines 5-5 of Figure 3 showing the means for aligning the cabinets in the battery. Y

As exemplary of an article of steel furniture to which the binding edge construction of my invention may be adopted according to my present invention, I have indicated in Figure 1 a metal ling cabinet 10, having the detail of said binding strip;

Y usual drawers 11 and flat top 12.

Tothis I have applied an auxiliary top plate 13 superposed thereon and coextensive therewith and secured thereto by spot welding through the top 12, the auxiliary plate 13 and spacing strips 14 and 15 therebetween.

VThe spacing strips 14 and 15 follow the perimeter of the top a spaced distance back from the marginal edge thereof. If the top` is of such area in proportion to its thickness as to be likely to make the auxiliary top 13 springy, one or more centrallyV located spacers 14 may be employed. Suitable surfacing material 17`a sheet of linoleum, for examplemay at the time of manufacture, or any desired time subsequently, be laid upon the auxiliary top plate 13 preferably being securedV thereto by the usual cement. TheV linoleum' 17 is trimmed to thesize of the top it is to cover', and for this purpose the marginaledges of the auxiliary plate 13 may conveniently be used as a trimming guide. For protecting and trimming the edges of the linoleum, I use a binding strip 16 of L4 or J shaped cross section comprising-ak horizontal flange 18 frictionally held in the marginal slot formed by the top 12 and the auxiliary top plate 13, and

an upwardly bent vertical flange 19 overlying the edge of the linoleum." Preferably. the upper edge of the vertical flange 19 istapered and bent inwardly as shown in Figure 2 to penetrate the edgeof the linoleum below its upper surface. This aids in preventing the lifting of the linoleum, the accidental catching of the upper edge of the binding strip which might pull itout of its slot, and the entering of dirt or foreign matter betweenthe edge of the linoleum and the binding strip.

VWhen it is desired to mount severalcabinets side by side, a flat strip 20 maybe inserted between top bases 12 and12 and top plates 13 and 13. of adjacent cabinets as shown in Figures 3 andV 5. Thus the same means which frictionallyengages the binding strip aids in locking the cabinets together andholding their respective top plates in aligned position. l

A single strip of linoleum 17 may be placed on the entire battery as shown in Figure 3. It may be glued thereto and its 4edges trimmed, and its edges may then be protected by inserting binding strips 16 aro-und the periphery as illustratedin Figure 3. The horizontalv portion of the binding strip may lle-,provided with notches 21. so that the strip may be continuously applied around corners.v f c By means of my present improvement, I may provide any ordinary piece of metal furniture with the requisite marginal slots for receiving my frictionally retained binding strip. And this marginal slot may, by the present improvement,l be applied either at the time of manufacture or at any'subsequent time and by the manufacturer or by a service man (especially if countersunl rivets be substituted` for spot Welding). Having provided the top with a marginal slot, the

application of a layer of covering lmaterial and the binding edge therefor is a simple matter. A roll of standard covering` material sui'iices for practically all installations and a'standard edge binder may-be? used for all installations. The `application of covering material and the bindingstrip mayreadily be done at anytime by themanufacturer, byl the dealer lorby the purchaser..`

I/Vhile I have describe-d in detail: a. preferred embodiment of' my invention, it is understood thatj I' am not limited to said de*- t'ails except as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

l. An' article of furniture comprising a top base,a top plate, spacing 'means between. said baseand said plate forming aemarginalzrecess therebetween, saidimeans securingl said bass to saidy plate, 'a surface material@ on: saidv top plate andan edge bindenforprotecti'ng the edges of said surface material, said edge binder having a horizontall portion, whereby it is heldin position by frictional engagement between the marginal. edges of the topl base andi top plate respectively. y l

2; |Ihe combination with an article of metal furniture having a flatv top of, means for! forming a marginal recessabouttthe peny imeter of the topV for receiving ands friction` ally retaininga horizontal Hangs ofthe binding edge strip, said recess forming means comprising an: auxiliar-.y top:L plate superimposed upon and substantially coextensi'e with the top, and spacing meansibetweenthe top plate andthe top.4

3. Asan article of'manufaciture, arr-,article of metal furniture or' the like comprising.Y a` flat top, spacing strips thereon: inwardly spaced from thev marginl ofthe top, .an auxiliary-top plate superimposed on the top and substantially coext'ensivetherewith: and spaced from the top byysaidi sp'acing'strips, thereby leaving-v the horizontally disposed marginal slot between the topi' and; auxiliary. topplate, for thepurpose described;

4. In combination v an article off furniture havinga hat top-,an auxiliary'topzplate sur perposed. thereonk and coextensive' therewith, spacing strips around the perimeterinterposed between andfi'xed to the furniture top andthe auxiliary top a spaced distance inwardly from the marginal; edge providinga marginaly recess having paralleh sidewalls, a surface material on said top plate andy an therefor having a. horizontal Vflange eXtending a variable distance in the marginal recess and; secured by -frictional engagement with the parallel wallsthereof.

6; In a furniture top construction, a top base, a top platesuperposed thereon and: ce extensive therewith,v spacing means interposed between and fined tosaidbasefandsaid plate a distance inwardly of. the marginal edges thereof providingzxavmarginal recess having twol parallel walls, A an raligning member having horizontally extending edges;` eX; tendingy into the-marginal recesses: of; similar articles; of furniture fon locking, them; to gether andi holding'` theirtops in: the same horizontal plane, by frictional: engagement with.v the parallel walls of therecesses..

'7. In :a furniture top: construction, ay top base, a top plate coextensiveY therewit-lfr-7 means vertically spacing said.- t'op vplate 1 from said topbase and securedy theretoy inwardly of the marginal edges for holdingv said base and said platein.- fixed:V and closely disposed i relation formingf aamarginalrecess,I asurffam ing;v material onf said plate,. andi an, edge binder having a: horizontal: portion exteding a variable distance intoxthelrecessand be- K ing frictionallyf held byvv engagement; with saidtop base andsaidr top'plate and a: vertiF cal portion engaging the edge of thesurface material. l

In witness whereof,'.I hereunto subscribe myy name this` 20thV day of. ctober, 1928;'A n .IA-MES R.. CLARK. 

